The Side Effects Of Boredom
by dawnsama
Summary: ONESHOT. How Sesshoumaru utterly failed to prevent Inuyasha’s birth.


Originally written- 7-1-2006

Pairing or Character: Sesshoumaru + Izayoi

Rating: PG13/T for numerous mentions of battlefield gunk and killing

Genre: General/Humorish

Word Count: 1605

Author's Note: This fic was written for Amara Anon, for the iy-flashfic community at Livejournal. It features a younger Sesshoumaru, and I tried to write him as a character on his way to becoming the Sesshoumaru of the canon present.

He was tired.

No, that was the wrong word. Sesshoumaru was never tired per se, in that he had never felt the need to sleep due to exhaustion.

It was definitely not fatigue. That much Sesshoumaru knew instinctively. At the moment, he was just not interested in slaughtering enemy youkai wandering in his father's lands anymore. There was only so much blood and guts and explosions a warrior youkai could take before it got plain redundant. Sesshoumaru didn't do things that bored him, so it was perfectly fine to stop killing at that moment and return to the main house.

True, his fingertips did ache slightly, but Sesshoumaru was more inclined to believe that his boredom even stretched to his body parts. That dull pain was simply a sign of ennui, and another reason to cease killing for time being.

He walked back through the forest. Of course, walking was not something one should do in a battleground. After all, Sesshoumaru could easily bypass the long distance with a few, well-placed leaps. Again, he walked not because he was tired, nor because he wanted to admire the bloody scenery. Sesshoumaru merely did not feel like exerting the effort required for racing through leaves, trees, and dirt. Not to mention the blood, which made mentioned dirt and leaves slippery. How obnoxious, really.

It was due to his slow speed that he came upon a quivering human maiden, huddled by a tree. She looked up as he passed her and scrambled to follow him, for no discernible reason.

"Youkai-sama!" she called to him.

Sesshoumaru kept walking, thinking that perhaps she would go away if he ignored her. She was a ghastly pale and obviously in shock, caught in the middle of youkai battle. How she got there was not his concern. He didn't even feel like killing her.

"Please, youkai-sama!"

Then again, it was probably his not killing her that encouraged her.

"I'm alone, and my guards were killed," she continued. Her scrambling footsteps crackled as they walked over bodies and burnt leaves.

Sesshoumaru didn't answer.

"My father… he is a nobleman, very wealthy. He will reward you well if you help me."

A log lay strewn in three, immense pieces along the path ahead. Sesshoumaru blithely stepped over them. He thought about sniggering when the human girl tripped on them, sending leaves and dirt to the air, but decided that he didn't feel like it.

He had reached about fifteen yards away from her before she scrambled to her feet. Some ten steps later, the huffing, kimono-dragging girl caught up at him, almost stepping on his heels. If Sesshoumaru had felt more active, he would have sliced her into two, neat pieces with a flick of the wrist. He would have enjoyed seeing her body parts tumble down to the ground, blending in with the debris and death already carpeting the forest floor.

Instead, he looked over his shoulder and slit his eyelids into a bladelike glare. He pinned his gaze onto her right hand, a blood and dirt speckled thing, with only bits of pale skin indicating that there was a human underneath, that she held outstretched toward him. It hovered by his left elbow as he stared at it, dirty fingernails practically reflecting against the fabric of his kimono.

She drew back quickly, and Sesshoumaru was disgusted that he had almost been touched by this gruesome creature.

"Forgive me," she babbled, bowing several times. Sesshoumaru wondered at her stupidity. She was only making it easier for him to decapitate her.

But, no matter. Sesshoumaru turned around and continued on.

"I just— I just wanted to… Well, you see…"

Sesshoumaru started counting in his head.

"And I thought that you could… that maybe…"

He reached twenty by the time she realized that he had gone ahead. Once again, there was a scurry behind him.

"I'm very sorry, youkai-sama!" she exclaimed, drawing up beside him.

Sesshoumaru rather hoped she was. He didn't like idle chatter from female youkai, much less from grimy human girls. It was almost enough to make him want to use his sword on her.

But then again, her stupid blather did give him something to listen to. He preferred it to hearing the echoes of his footsteps.

"Um, youkai-sama, as I was saying…"

This time, Sesshoumaru turned his head to the left and looked at her as she spoke. She paused slightly at his glance, but continued.

"I'm quite far away from my guards. In fact, I was separated from them a few days ago. We were attacked by a band of rogue youkai, and my guards told me to run for the forest, away from the road." She shivered and gathered her arms around her chest. "What useless advice. It's a wonder I haven't been killed already. I don't know how I survived!"

Frankly, Sesshoumaru wondered too. Surely by now, a roaming youkai, possibly trying to escape the battlefield, would have come upon them by now. Of course, he wouldn't dare touch Sesshoumaru, but he would have at least killed the girl, if only on principle.

The human blushed underneath the dirt dust on her face as he steadily gazed at her. "I… I was hoping, youkai-sama," she stammered, "That you would perhaps help me get back to my father's estate? He would reward you very handsomely, I promise! No youkai would attack me if I had a strong warrior, such as yourself, at my side!"

Oh, Sesshoumaru realized. Of course, his very presence beside the girl was the culprit. It was just as she said; what youkai would dare attack her if she was not only walking besides him, Sesshoumaru, the son of the Inu no Taisho, the greatest warrior, but walking still with her life?

Sesshoumaru felt rather exploited, even if it was not intentionally so. He didn't like protecting others very much. It made them think he liked them, and he couldn't have that.

"All the other youkai I encountered were so barbaric. But you… you're so refined, youkai-sama." She looked down, her tangled black hair flapping at her face. "And you haven't tried to kill me…"

Ah, that was probably reason she was still bothering him.

Sesshoumaru knew why he hadn't killed the stupid human. It was the same reason why he was leaving the battlefield for home. He was simply bored. Not tired, or exhausted, or aching at his fingertips, or just dead sick of seeing the monotonous killing. Bored. Father would understand.

In fact, maybe letting the girl follow him back was a good thing. So far, she hadn't questioned where they were going. This was good, because the soldiers back home would probably appreciate Sesshoumaru for bringing back easy fresh meat. They were probably antsy for not being on the battlefield right now. A little amusement would be good for them, and it would ensure some loyalty.

They were nearing his Father's mansion, a sight that nearly made the girl stop in her tracks if Sesshoumaru hadn't pressed on.

"Oh, is this your home?" she asked, voice soft in awe.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied.

She started at his voice. And then, she surprised Sesshoumaru, the corners of her lips tipping up into a quiet smile. For a moment, it was all he could see.

"Thank you, youkai-sama," she whispered.

Sesshoumaru shook himself out and decided not to waste time wondering what her gratitude was for. He prepared to stride off, having a vague idea of where the guards would be, when her voice stopped him yet again.

"Youkai-sama," she called. "Forgive me for asking, but what is your name?"

He wanted to sigh, but didn't. Looking boredly over his shoulder, he replied simply, "Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru-sama…"

He waited patiently, but it seemed she didn't have anything else to say after that.

"Sesshoumaru!"

This time, he did sigh. Sesshoumaru turned the rest of his body around and said dryly, "Hello Father."

His father glowered at him. "What are you doing here? You should be out there slaying the enemy!"

"I got bored, Father."

"Bored my as—"

And then, he looked down, noticing the girl, who stared up at him with wide, gleaming eyes, lips trembling at his great size no doubt.

"Why, hello my lady," his father greeted her. He bent down to look her in the eyes. Sesshoumaru thought about puking, but once again, decided not to. Ever since his mother had died, his father had gone after everything without a penis. Why he even bothered with such a dirty thing as this girl was beyond Sesshoumaru's comprehension, and he didn't really feel like trying to understand at this point.

"Hello, youkai-sama," she mumbled, head bowing.

His father slid a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up. He smiled, teeth glinting.

"And what is your name, my lady?" he purred.

Although her face was up, her eyes slid down. "Izayoi, youkai-sama," she whispered.

"Izayoi? What a pretty name…"

Bored, Sesshoumaru spun on his heel and walked away.

Of course, in years to come, he would curse himself for leaving Izayoi alive with his father, and he would agonize on what would never have happened if he only gotten over his ennui and killed the damn girl. He would berate himself for not moving just a little quicker, for then Izayoi would never have kept up with him and surely would have fallen prey to a wandering youkai. Hell, he had held the fate of Inuyasha's birth in his hands, and he could have stopped it.

But, for now, Sesshoumaru wanted to go to bed.

THE END


End file.
